chanson d'enfance
by Prince Adam
Summary: Whilst in India, Jack is a little homesick.


'J _ay_ -cob? Jay—Jacob?'

Jacob groaned internally and kept quiet, eyes firmly closed. If he pretended to be asleep, maybe the child would give up and go back to sleep. It was _way_ too early for this.

The child hiccupped and sniffled. 'Jacob, are you sleeping?'

'I was, yes,' he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and yawning as if the child's previous calls hadn't woken him up already. 'What's the matter, Jack?'

Jack scrubbed at his face with his sleeve. 'Are we going home tomorrow?'

'No,' responded Jacob. 'We're going to be here for a few months. Why?'

'I don't like it here, Jacob,' replied the tearful boy, taking a few cautious steps towards the bed. 'I want to go home.'

Jack crawled into bed and shuffled along. Jacob made sure there was enough blanket for both of them and, sitting up a little, said, 'But you were having fun today with Tim and Clara, weren't you?'

Jack nodded.

'And you said the food was good, right?'

Jack nodded.

'And you like Evie and Henry, don't you?'

Jack nodded.

'Then what's wrong?'

'I want to go _home_ ,' he repeated. 'It's dark and the room smells funny and it's not _mine_ it's just a room I want _my_ room—' he broke off, crying softly.

Instinctively Jacob beckoned Jack closer, pulling the child into a hug. 'Why don't we take a little walk, hmm? We can get you something warm to drink.'

Jack sniffled and buried his head into Jacob's chest in response. The assassin sighed and gently prised him away. Jack whimpered. 'Hey, hey. None of that. I'm just putting a shirt on.'

Jacob pulled the thin fabric over his head and popped his arms out. Jack shuffled further along the bed, and Jacob let out another sigh, picking up the clingy child. Absently he noticed the child's nightshirt was damp with sweat; another of his nightmares, Jacob wondered.

They silently made their way down the stairs, Jack resting his head on the assassin's shoulder. Evie was in the kitchen, sipping a cup of ginger tea. 'You're awake early,' she commented mildly. 'It's barely five o'clock.'

'Jack's feeling a little homesick,' explained Jacob. 'You don't have any more of that tea, do you?'

'Oh, yeah,' she replied, 'but it's just for the baby. It won't really do anything—'

'I know, but it should calm him down a little.'

Jack wriggled in his arms, rubbing his wet eyes with his left fist. Jacob tried to put him down but he clung on desperately. 'No,' he whimpered, tears springing to his eyes again.

So Jacob made the tea, balancing Jack on his hip and holding the teapot in his other hand, trying not to scald either of them. Eventually he managed to prise Jack off him and onto the chair with the promise that he would be picked up again after the tea was finished.

'He's just having one of those nights,' Evie said gently. 'He's so far away from home, in this alien country he doesn't understand, and he's never been away from home before. He'll settle in soon enough.'

'He keeps having nightmares,' Jacob murmured, taking a sip of tea. 'Careful, Jack, don't burn yourself.' He put a hand to Jack's tea to keep it steady. 'I'm starting to think this whole thing was a terrible idea.'

'Don't. Look Jacob, he was fine yesterday, right?'

Jacob nodded.

'It's just homesickness. It _will_ go away. You just have to give him time and patience.'

'It's just … I've never known him this _clingy_ before.' Jacob took another drink. 'I mean, he likes to be near me and all that, but that's normal. This isn't him, Evie.'

'I can tell. The best thing you can do is support him. Everything has its own time.'

'Finished,' said Jack quickly. He slipped off the chair and Jacob helped him into his lap, wincing a little.

Either he was getting old or Jack was getting heavier.

Neither Jacob nor Evie said anything for a good few minutes as Jack got comfortable and rested his head on Jacob's chest.

'Doctors said he's getting there. He's not quite out of the woods yet, but he's getting taller apparently, and not as skinny. The mental stuff might take a while, though.'

'As it's bound to,' replied Evie. Her eyes moved towards the child, whose eyes were drooping, and she smirked. Maybe Jacob _did_ have the right idea.

'He's had a few … tantrums, something like that. Doctor says that's good, that he's not scared of me anymore.' Jacob winced lowly. 'He used to flinch from me every time I said his name.'

'How's he coping with little Emmett?'

'He loves Emmett, don't get me wrong … but I think there's a part of him that's terrified we're going to forget about him. You don't know how many times I've come to say goodnight and he's fallen asleep crying. It's horrible.'

Jacob looked down to the child, now fast asleep. 'I'm going to put him to bed.'

Moving noiselessly up the stairs and into Jack's bedroom, the assassin tucked the boy into bed and kissed his forehead gently. He'd be awake and hungry in a few hours, but for now, he could rest.


End file.
